American Authorities Warn Germans Against Desecration of Jewish Cemeteries

May 15, 1950

FRANKFURT (May. 14)

American authorities in Bavaria this week-end made it clear to German officials that they must take more energetic measures to put an end to the desecration of Jewish cemeteries.

The U.S. Commissioner for Bavaria, Clarence M. Bolds, issued a statement condemning the desecrations. “Such molestations cause concern, since they are being reported far too frequently,” he said. “I cannot over-emphasize the seriousness of such acts. Freedom-loving nations have reason to be on the alert against the revival of racial and religious hatred in Germany.”

Commissioner Bolds urged the German authorities to redouble their efforts not only to apprehend the guilty persons, but also to take measures to protect the graves against future attacks. “Unless stringent steps are taken by the law enforcement agencies, Germany cannot hope to regain self-respect in the eyes of the world,” Mr. Bolds said.

Meanwhile, the Jewish community here invited a group of foreign correspondents to visit the Frankfurt Jewish cemetery, which was recently desecrated, to see for themselves that the desecration was committed not by children, as the police claim, but by an organized group of adults. “If the desecrations continue, we shall request the Jews outside of Germany to transfer the bones of their brethren to places where they may rest in peace without being disturbed or threatened by so-called playing children,” Chief Rabbi Dr. Wilhelm Weinberg told the correspondents.

“The Jews in Frankfurt have no confidence in the protection offered by the German authorities. We are now forced to appeal to international protection.” He reported that 80 cemeteries were defaced in Western Germany in the last few years.

FOUR VANDALS ARRESTED IN BERLIN FOLLOWING JEWISH COMMUNITY PROTESTS

In Berlin, four young Germans were arrested last night on charges of having desecrated graves in the Jewish cemetory at Weissensee, in the Soviet sector. Announcing the arrest, Mayor Friedrich Ebert of East Berlin told Jewish leaders that a watch had been instituted at the cemetery following a complaint last week by Jewish leaders that 16 tombstones had been knocked over by vandals.

In a letter to the Mayor last Thursday, the Jewish community of Berlin declared: “We expect the sharpest steps will be taken to track down the authors of this execrable act. Not only the Jewish community, but the entire people have a right to demand that such acts do not remain unavenged.”

From Munich it was reported that two Germans responsible for the desecration of the Jewish cemetery in the town of Waerzburg were arrested by Bavarian police.